How to Use a Paper Clip in Many Ways

Co-authored by Robert Vallelunga

Last Updated: June 19, 2023 Fact Checked

Paper clips are traditionally used to, well, clip together paper. But, there are plenty more creative and practical ways to make use of this common (and wonderfully inexpensive) office supply. When you take advantage of its small size, strong metal wire, and convenient bending ability, a simple paper clip can become anything from a handy tool to a work of art.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Using Paper Clips as Tools

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Hold things together. After all, it’s the paper clip’s designated purpose. Clip papers together by securing one metal loop on each side of the stack.
- If you’re feeling adventurous, reshape your paper clip into a heart-shaped holder. It’ll lend a little love and excitement to your bundles.^{[1]
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Hold a hem in place. If the bottom edge of your skirt or pants is coming undone, paper clips make for an excellent temporary fix. Just fold the rough edge under and pin it in place by securing paper clips around the circumference.
- This is also a useful way to prepare a hem to resew it. Using paper clips around the edge will help ensure that your hem is even all the way around.
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It’s really difficult to zip and unzip clothing when there’s nothing to hang onto. If you’re missing the pull for a zipper, simply loop a paper clip through the eyelet where the original pull was attached.^{[2]
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If you unbend a paper clip, its ends can be very useful for clearing up household items that are stopped up. The paper clip is an especially useful tool when the job calls for precision, such as fine drains or clogged glue bottles.
Some small items, like jewelry or electronics, are difficult to clean using your hands. If you loop some tissue, paper towel, gauze, felt, or cotton around a paper clip, it can create a mini cleaning tool that’s perfect for dusting hard-to-reach crevices.
When you need to reset your modem or router, a paper clip is the ideal tool for pressing that tricky-to-reach reset button. Bend it into a key-like shape, that is, a long wire with a handle at the end. You hold the handle and use the extended wire to press in the internal reset button.^{[3]
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A paper clip can serve as a simple bookmark. Just clip it to the page you are on in whatever you’re reading, and you won’t lose your spot.
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Hang objects. You can either hang an object using the paper clip alone or hang it from a string tied to the paper clip with the object on it if you’d like a longer loop.
- This is an easy and cheap way to hang everything from ornaments to strings of lights to wall decor. Just be sure that whatever you’re hanging is light enough that it won’t break the paper clip with its weight.
- You can even reshape the paper clip into a miniature clothes hanger.
If you’re constantly annoyed about losing where you are in a roll of duct, scotch, or painters’ tape, why not wrap the edge around a paper clip to create an easy tab. The end will not only be easy-to-find, it’ll also be easy to pull when you need it.^{[4]
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Keep food packages closed. Lots of items in your cupboard and fridge come in bags. Ensure it all stays fresh by using a paper clip to seal each package.^{[5]
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- You can either fold the open edge of a bag over and clip it closed or unbend your paper clip to use it like a twisty tie.
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Pick a lock. This is definitely not advice to do anything illegal, but sometimes you lock yourself out of an old trunk or locker, and paper clips can be quicker and more cost-effective than a locksmith.^{[6]
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- To open a padlock, you’ll need two paper clips, one unbent to be completely straight and the other bent into an “L” shape.
- Insert the straight clip into the very top of the keyhole (where the jagged edge of your key would normally go), and the L-shaped clip into the bottom. Then, you need to swiftly and firmly pull the top clip out while firmly twisting the bottom clip in the same direction as you would your key. It’s tricky to get the action exactly right, so it may take a few tries.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Crafting with Paper Clips

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Create a key ring. If you wrap a paper clip twice around a cylindrical object, like a marker, it can serve as the base for a key ring. Make it more exciting by attaching homemade decorations like ribbons, beads, or origami.^{[7]
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- Be sure that you're using a paper clip made from a substantial wire that it can hold the weight of your key(s).
- You should also be sure that the two loops of wire are as tight or close together as possible so that your key will not slip off. If you are worried about losing your key, twist the two ends of your paper clip around the loops a few times to prevent them from opening up.
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Craft a fun bookmark. Use craft glue to attach buttons, cloth flowers, felted shapes, googly eyes, or other small decorations to the end of a jumbo paper clip. After your creations are thoroughly dried, slip the non-decorated side over the top of a page to mark your spot in style.^{[8]
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- You can also add colorful flare and help mark your spot by tying a tassel to the end made from knotting together a bundle of ribbon, string, or sewing floss.
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Make a necklace or bracelet. Connect many paper clips together creatively to fashion colorful adornments for your neck and wrists.^{[9]
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- The easiest style is a chain necklace or bracelet made from linking together multiple clips to achieve the length you want. Either attach the open ends together or twist together your clips into interlocking spirals.
- Experiment by making long necklaces and bracelets with multiple loops of different colors.
- Try decorating your jewelry with beads, ribbons, colorful paper wrapped around each clip with glue, or whatever else strikes your fancy!
You can also try making a charm to attach to a bracelet or pendant for the end of a necklace by reshaping the paper clip into a different shape. If you twist the ends of the paper clip together, you can even add beads to decorate your design. Or, make a shape like a heart and then wind ribbon or colored string around it.^{[10]
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You can make a ring with as little as a single clip. Either loop it around your finger of choice as many times as you can, or loop it once, twist the two ends together to form the size of ring you want, and bend the remaining length of wire into a shape of your choosing.
Attach multiple paper clips together to form a chain, then hang a bell or other objects, like a small stuffed animal or wooden ornament, from it. Use your craft to decorate a child’s room or string it up outside to make music in the wind.
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Build a sculpture. The bendable wire of a paper clip makes a great building block for imaginative art. Unbend your paper clips before reshaping them into whatever your imagination desires. Twist paper clips together to create any size of structure.
- Try using multicolored paper clips to introduce multiple hues into your sculpture. Doing so can make it more vibrant or help you better represent the object you’re portraying, like a flower with red petals and green leaves.
Use a paper clip to hold your Easter eggs securely as you dip them into dye. Simply twist it into a spoon-like shape with a circle that’s big enough to hold your egg stable.^{[11]
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Make an ornament. Reshape paper clips into fun shapes to hang up around the house or on Christmas trees. Attach some twine, string or ribbon to your paper-clip creation, and it’s ready to go.
- Try out designs that take advantage of the typical shape of a paper clip. For instance, the shape of the paper clip works really well to form the body and wings of an angel with a bead for a head. It also lends itself perfectly to being the blades on a pair of ice skates cut out from paper or felt.^{[12]
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- Paper clips are likewise ideal for attaching ornaments to ribbons so that they can be easily hung up for display.
There’s to need to purchase a roll of specialty wire when you can just as easily tie together bouquets and fasten flowers to wreaths using paper clips. Just unbend the clips and twist them around bunches of stems to hold your artful arrangements in place.^{[13]
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Keep paper clips of many different sizes and colors on hand to maximize your possibilities.

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Warnings

Since they’re made of metal and sometimes have sharp edges, paper clips can be dangerous for kids to use. If you’re doing any of these activities with young children, be sure to supervise them closely.

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